Garment



May 18, 1943 H. R. BoGGs GARMENT Filed Jan. 2, 1941 Patented May 18, 1943 GARMENT Richards,

Boggs & Ki corporation of Delawa Henry Renlck Boggs, Chicago, Ill., assignor to ng, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a re Application January 2, 1941, Serial No. 372,736

4 Claims.

'I'he present invention relates generally to garments- MOI@ particularly .the invention relates to that type of garment which is in the form of a coat or cape, is adapted to hang from the wearers shoulders and cover a substantial portion of the body and has overlapping front margins when it' is in use.

It has heretofore been customary in connection with a garment of this type to employ a zipper fastener, tie strings, a button and buttonhole connection or like means for releasably securing the front margins of the garment in `overlapped relation while the garment is being worn. Such devices are objectionable for several reasons. In the first place they are costly. Secondly, they require not only much time and labor in installing or applying them but also much effort in opening and closing them. Thirdly, they do not automatically open or release when the front margins of rthe garment are urged apart in a sidewise direction as sometimes occurs when the wearer of the garment takes an unusually large step. If a conventional garment, i. e., one having releasable fastening means as heretofore specified, is subjected to sidewise pulling or stress while the front margins are in overlapped and connected relation during use of the garment, the fastening devices sometimes break, while in other cases the marginal portions of the garment tear or rupture, raincoat or raincape variety and is made of thin light weight material.

'I'he primary object of the invention is to provide a garment of the type under consideration which has certain advantages over, and does not have the disadvantages or objectionable features of, previously designed garments of the same general character by reason of the fact that the front margins instead of being provided with costly conventional fastening devices have inexpensive magnets which effectively and efliciently hold the margins in overlapped relation during wearing of the garment while at the same time they permit of ready separation of the margins in the event that the latter are subjected to undue stress in a sidewise direction.

Another-object of -the invention is to provide a. garment of rthe type under consideration in which the magnets for releasably securing the front margins in overlapped relation are in the form of metallic blocks and are encased in opposed pcckets on the margins.

A further object of theinvention is the provision of a garment of the type under consideration having simple and novel magnetic means especially when the garment is of the `formed of any suitable material.

for securing the front lower corners in overlapped relation during use of the garment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a garment which is generally of new and improved design and construction and is capable of being manufactured at an extremely low cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present garment will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description. Y

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specication or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front view of a garment embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the front margins of the garment in separated relation and illustrating in detail the manner in which the magnets for securing the front margins and front lower corners of the garment in overlapped relation are secured in place; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1 and showing the manner in which certain of the magnets coact during wear or use of the garment.

The garment which is shown in the drawing constitutes one form or embodiment of the lnvention. It is of the raincape variety and serves when in use as an enclosure and protecting medium for thebody and arms of the wearer, as illustrated in Figure 1. The upper portion of the garment is adapted to surround and cover the wearers shoulders and has a neck opening 4. The front of the garment is in the form of a pair 0f vertically elongated separately formed panels 5 and ,5. When the garment is in use the inner margin of the panel 5 is adapted to overlap the inner margin of the panel 6. The garment is If the garment is of the raincape type, as illustrated in Figure 1, it is preferably formed of oiled silk, Plioiilm or like thin iiexible material. The inner side marlatter extends from the top of the panel 5 to the bottom and has stitching 8 whereby it is held in place. The inner side margin of the panel 6 is folded or turned inwards in order to form a hem 9 and this hem extends from the top or the panel 6 to the bottom and is secured in place by stitching I0. The inner margins of the two front panels 5 and 6 are releasably held in overlapped relation when the garment 5 is in use `by way of a pair of coacting magnets II and I2. The magnet II is of the permanent variety and is in the form of a rectangular block of magnetized steel or other highly magnetic material. It is disposed in, and extends lengthwise of, the central portion of the hem 1 and is secured in place 'against longitudinal displacement with respect to the hem 8 by way of stitching I3. The latter is in the form of a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending lines or rows and together with the intermediate portion of the hem 'I forms a compartment or pocket I4 for the magnet II. The magnet I2 is also of the permanent variety and is similar in construction and design to the magnet I I. It is disposed in, and extends lengthwise of the central portion of, the hem 9 and is held in place by means of stitching I5. Such stitching is in the form of a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending lines o r rows and together with the portion of the hem 9 that is disposed therebetween constitutes a pocket I6 for the magnet i2. The pockets I4 and I6 are dis= .posed at the same height with the result that the magnets ii and i2 are horizontally aligned when the garment is worn. The two magnets are positioned in reverse relation, i. e., with the north pole of one at the top and the south pole at the bottom and the south pole of the other of the top and the north pole at the bottom. As the result of such an arrangement the magnets II and i2 attract one another when the inner side margins of the panels 5 and 6 are brought into overlapped relation in connection with use of the garment. When the magnet II is in close proximity to the magnet i2 it moves into abutment with the magnet and the two magnets adhere with such force that the panels 5 and 6 are ei'ectively and eiliciently secured together. When the magnets are in adhering relation there is a closed magnetic circuit between them and the panels are held in place until subjected to an appreciable force tending to separate or draw them apart. When it is desired to remove the garment it is only necessary for the wearer to pull apart the panels 5 and 6. As soon as the magnets II and I2 are subjected to forces tending t urge them apart they slide out of engagement with one another and thus release the panels and 6 for separation. Because the magnets will separate without a great amount of force opening of the panels is extremely simple and there is no likelihoodof tearing or rupturing the material of which the garment is made. Instead of employing two permanent magnets II and I2 for releasably securing hem II at the bottom of the panel 5 and is held in place by way of stitching 2l. The latter together with the porltion ofthe hem I'I that is associated therewith constitutes a pocket 22 for the magnet I9. The magnets 20 are like the magnet I9 except that they are reversely positioned as far as poles are concerned. They are disposed in the hem IB at the bottom of the panel 6 and are spaced small distances apart. Three masnets 20 are preferably employed. It is to be understood, however, that more magnets or fewer magnets may be employed if desired. Stitching 23 extends transversely across the hem I8 and serves to divide the hem into individual pockets 2l for the magnets 20. When the magnet I9 in the hem I1 at the bottom of the panel 5 is brought into close proximity to any one of the magnets 20 it is attracted to the one magnet and coacts therewith to hold the front lower corners of the garment in connected relation. The magnet I9 may be applied to any one of the three magnets 20 depending upon whether the wearer of the garment desires to have the skirt or lower portion tight or loose. If the wearer desires to have the skirt or lower portion of the garment as loose as possible the magnet I9 is placed in adhering relation with the magnet 20 that is nearest the hem 9. Should 'the wearer of the garment desire to have the lower portion of the garment fit tightly or snugly-the magnet I9 is placed in adhering relation with the magnet 20 that is farthest from the hem 9. The front lower corners of the garment are opened or separated in connection with removal of the garment by merely urging the panels 5 and E into separated relation. Such action serves to slide the magnet I9 out of engagement with the adjacent magnet 20. 'A block of soft iron or other material that is subject to magnetic inuence may be substituted for the magnet I9 while using or employing the magnets 20. Likewise blocks of soft iron may be substituted for the magnets 20 while employing the front panels of the garment in place a single magnet may be employed together with a coacting block of soft iron or other material capable force.

The bottom of the panel 5 is folded inwards or doubled back to form a hem I1 and the bottom margin of the panel 6 is folded inwards or doubled back to form a hem I8. These two hems are horizontally aligned and embody stitching for holding or retaining them in place. In order releasably to secure together the front lower corners of the panels 5 and 6 when the garment is in use a magnet I9 and a set of magnets 20 are provided. The magnet I9 is of the permanent of being attracted by a magnetic iniiuence or only the magnet I9.

When the garment is to be worn the shoulder portion is first placed over the wearers shoulders. Thereafter the inner side margin of the panel 5 is moved or shifted into overlapped relation with the inner side margin of the panel 6. As soon as the inner margins of the two panels are in overlapped relationthe magnets II and I2 move into adhering relation as heretofore pointed out and serve releasably to secure the panels together. After the wearer of the garment brings the magnets I I and I2 into adhering relationthe magnet I9 is moved into adhering relation with one of the magnets 20 in order to secure in-place the front lower corners of the garment. The magnets' hold the panels 5 and 6 in connected relation during normal use of the garment. Should the garment be subjected to any undue spreading action due to the wearer of the garment taking an abnormally long step variety and corresponds to the magnets II and I2 so far as shape and construction are concerned. It nts in, and extends lengthwise of, the

or for any other reason whatsoever the panel 5 Slides out of contact with the panel 6 with the result that there is no tearing or rupturing of the garment. When it is desired to remove the garment it is only necessary to apply gentle outward pressure on Ithe panels 5 and 6 since such pressure serves to separate the magnet III from the magnet II and the magnet I9 from the magnet that is adjacent thereto.

The herein described garment may be opened and closed with facility because the releasable closure fastening means is in the form ofcoacting magnets. For the same reason it is durable.

By reason of the fact that the permanent block type magnets of the type shown in the drawing are obtainable at an extremely low cost the garment as a whole may be produced without undue expense.

Whereas the invention has been described as being embodied in a raincape it is to -be understood that it is capable of embodiment in other forms or types of garments. It is also to be understood that the invention is nolt to be restricted to the details set forth since these may be modied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from fthe spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to secure fby Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a garment formed of iiexible material and embodying a pair of opposed margins adapted tto be brought together into lapped relation in connection with Wearing of the garment, and also embodying means for releasably securing said margins together comprising a permanent magnet-piece on one of the margins and a coacting piece mounted on the other margin in alignment with the magnet-piece and formed of such material that it is attracted into adhering relation with said magnet-piece when brought into close proximity thereto.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a garment formed of flexible material and embodying a pair oi opposed hem-equipped margins |adapted to be brought together in overlapped relation in oonnection with wearing of the garment, and also embodying means for releasably securing said margins together comprising a permanent magnet-piece in the hem of one of fthe margins and a coacting piece mounted in the corresponding portion of the hem of the other margin and formed of such material that it is attracted into adhering relation with said magnet-piece whenv brought into close proximity thereto.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an outer garment formed of flexible material and embody-, ing a pair of front panels with inner side mar# gins adapted to -be brought into overlapped relation in connection with wearing of the garment, and also embodying means for releasably and 2djustably securing the front lower corners of the panels together comprising a permanent magnet on one of the corners and a series of spaced apart coacting pieces mounted on the other corner and formed of such material that when any one of them is vbrought into proximity rto said magnet-l piece it is attracted into adhering relation therewith.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a garment formed of flexible material and embodying a pair of opposed margins adapted to -be Abrought rtogether inlto lapped relation in connection with wearing of the garment, and also embodying magnetic means for releasably securing the margins together.

HENRY RENICK BOGGS. 

